Chapter 95: The Bond Between Daughters
Time always slips away inadvertently. At the Aragaki Residence, even though Takiya hadn't done much work in his Bedroom, by the time he snapped out of it, it was already afternoon.
"Ah, has it really been this long?"
Looking at the time on his phone, Aragaki Takiya blinked and stood up. His body let out a series of pops and cracks from sitting for too long.
"But I feel like I'm forgetting something."
Staring at his phone's black screen, Takiya fell into a daze. His video call with Kato Megumi had ended an hour ago, so what exactly had he forgotten?
"Oh right, it's already past four in the afternoon. It seems I haven't eaten lunch yet."
"Wait! Lunch?!"
The young man suddenly realized the situation and hurried out of his room.
In the living room, the three Little Lolis were engrossed in the television.
"Aren't you three hungry? Why didn't you remind me..."
Seeing the Little Lolis lying obediently on the sofa watching TV, Aragaki Takiya felt his strength drain away as he asked in a trembling voice.
"Um, because Big Sister is making a big feast this afternoon, and we weren't that hungry anyway, so we didn't want to disturb Aragaki-nii."
Shiina Kaede, who had been lying on the sofa watching TV, immediately sat up to answer upon hearing Takiya's voice.
Beside her, Aragaki Moeha nodded repeatedly in agreement, but Ayane's expression next to them was a bit strange.
Ayane hadn't revealed her identity, but the gap brought about by this hidden identity was indeed hard to stomach.
One must know that she used to be Aragaki Takiya's precious daughter. He had truly cherished her to the point of being afraid she'd melt in his mouth or break in his hands. But now... she felt like the other two Children's positions in her father's heart far surpassed her own.
"I see..."
Takiya naturally noticed Ayane's expression, but he couldn't say much about it. After all, she was just Classmate Yukinoshita's younger sister, and their relationship was only that of casual friends. Moreover, since he was the one being invited, it would be impolite to bring along an uninvited guest on his own.
"Um, Aragaki-nii, could you talk to my sister and ask if we can add one more guest? I want Ayane to come with us too."
Shiina Kaede suddenly spoke up. Perhaps out of a sense of mutual respect for such a powerful peer, Kaede didn't dislike the Ayane before her. On the contrary, she enjoyed interacting with her and was very willing to make this friend, so bringing her along for dinner was part of her plan.
"Eh? That..."
Ayane was just about to say something when her mouth was covered by Shiina Kaede.
"It's okay, Ayane. My sister is very gentle, and the food she makes is delicious. She'll definitely welcome you."
As Shiina Kaede spoke, her eyes twinkled with a smile. This was what she had planned from the beginning.
"No problem, I'll call her sister right now."
Kaede's proactive suggestion gave Takiya the perfect opportunity. Since he was a guest, it wasn't convenient for him to invite others, but Kaede was Shiina Mahiru's daughter, so there would be no problem this way.
Subsequently, Takiya went to the balcony alone. After a few minutes of communication... "No problem, Shiina has agreed. So, Ayane, come with us. As for going home, I'll take you back after dinner."
Aragaki Takiya said, waving his phone.
Hearing Takiya's words, Ayane's sour mood relaxed quite a bit. How should she put it? Although her current position in Takiya's heart wasn't what it used to be, the love she held for him hadn't changed.
She hadn't forgotten her mission. She wouldn't lose heart until she helped her father and mother reach a happy ending.
"Mm, okay, thank you..."
"Hehe, it's nothing, it's nothing. We're good friends, after all..."
Hearing Ayane's gratitude, Shiina Kaede felt quite satisfied. After all, she was a good child who enjoyed helping others, and she was very proud to be able to help a friend.
"Then let's get ready quickly. We'll head to Kaede's house in a bit. Kaede, remember to lead the way~"
"Hehe, don't worry, leave everything to me."
Hearing Takiya's words, Shiina Kaede was overjoyed. After all, opportunities to be useful to her father and help her mother at the same time didn't come often... Soon, after the three Little Lolis were ready, Takiya led them out. However, their first stop wasn't directly to the Shiina Family home, but to a nearby Pastry Shop.
After all, when visiting someone's home, one couldn't go without a gift. Furthermore, Shiina Kaede had mentioned that Shiina Mahiru liked sweets, so this Pastry Shop was the perfect choice.
Soon, Takiya selected the gift to bring, but after that, he also bought three large Mille-feuilles.
These were for the three Little ones who hadn't eaten lunch. Since it was his negligence that caused them to miss lunch and there was still some time before dinner, they could only use the Mille-feuille to tide them over.
"Here, the Mille-feuille at this Pastry Shop tastes pretty good. Give it a try..."
He gave one to each Little one. After doing this, Takiya finally felt a little less guilty.
"This... I don't think I've ever seen Papa eat this before."
Looking at the Mille-feuille in her hand, Ayane felt a wave of confusion. In the past, Takiya often bought her delicious treats, but most were Wagashi or the like, with other snacks mixed in occasionally. This was the first time she had eaten this kind of Mille-feuille.
Despite her thoughts, the enticing sweet aroma of the Mille-feuille made Ayane unable to resist taking a large bite.
The light, crispy texture mixed with the sweet flavor—a sensation she hadn't experienced before—rushed through her mouth. It was indeed delicious.
Tasting the pastry, Ayane couldn't help but squint her eyes in delight, a scene that Takiya happened to catch from the side.
"Sometimes she feels like a miniature version of Classmate Yukinoshita, but she seems even cuter than her."
Takiya thought to himself, then looked at the other two Little Lolis.
Mm, seeing them happily eating their snacks, his own mood couldn't help but brighten.
Indeed, Children's smiles are the best medicine in the world to heal one's mood.
The three Children each had their own eating style. Aragaki Moeha, being more introverted, took small bites, while Shiina Kaede and Ayane had no such reservations. Although their ways of eating differed, all three Children were very cute.
The fact that passersby occasionally turned their heads to look proved exactly that.
"Alright, wipe your hands clean after you're done, and then let's set off."
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